October 2010

He didn’t commit a crime. He committed an act of war against the United States of America. So why did the U.S. Justice Department decide to put him on trial in a civilian court of law? That’s what I’d like to know! Because, frankly, his trial is not going so well and this guy might walk free after helping to cause the deaths of a dozen Americans and the wounding of thousands of others.

This is the risk we run when we put terrorists on trial in civilian courts rather than in front of military tribunals where they belong.

“He” is Ahmed Ghailani, a baby faced thirty-something man from Tanzania who has already confessed his role in Al Qaeda’s bombing of U.S. Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998 that took the lives of 224 people. And, authorities say, after that carnage Al Qaeda rewarded Ghailani with a position as a bodyguard , cook and document forger for none other than Osama bin Laden himself. This Ghailani fellow had long term and daily knowledge of the activities of America’s #1 mortal enemy. [click to continue…]

This criminal case breaks my heart. It wasn’t about justice, I believe it was about race based retribution against two sisters, young mothers, who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Gladys and Jamie Scott were just 19 and 21 years old respectively on the day they were arrested, the day before Christmas 1993. They lived in the tiny town of Forest, Mississippi. As you read this story remember – early 90’s, the state of Mississippi and all the players are black. The local Sheriff at the time was white.

After the sisters’ car conked out that night outside a local Mini Mart they began walking home. Two cousins in their 20’s, known as the Duckworth Men, offered to give them a lift. When it became clear the men wanted sexual favors in return for their good deed the sisters jumped out and resumed walking home. Gladys and Jamie say they heard a commotion behind them on the road but they kept walking. They would later learn that three other locals called the Patrick Men, ages 14 to 18, had robbed the Duckworth’s of between nine and 11 dollars.

Has the internet made us more vicious? I ask because it sure seems to me that we are quickly becoming a people who have forgotten how to empathize with others.

With our computer anonymity many of us have decided we can “say” things over the World Wide Web that we would never ever say to someone’s face. Cruel comments can be lobbed without personal risk so we send them out like invisible hand grenades, set to explode when opened.

There seems to be a mini-movement underway of disgruntled taxpayers and law enforcement officials intent on sweeping out the bums who play-act at being our political leaders while lining their own pockets.

You may have already heard about the situation in the Los Angeles suburb of Bell, California where eight current and past city leaders were arrested and charged with illegally awarding themselves exorbitant salaries and misappropriating public funds. When filing the charges District Attorney Steve Cooley called it a case of “corruption on steroids.” [click to continue…]